RULE 1: Your novelette must be between 7.5K and 15K words.

You can be a few words off, but not several hundred, so keep that in mind when you plan and write your story. If your story is too short, you simply don't qualify. If your story is too long, the judges will only read the first 15K words, which means... you should have just kept it under 15K.

RULE 2: Your novelette must contain the keywords.

If your story fails to include the keywords, it can't be judged because it doesn't meet the requirements of this contest. Also, if you somehow managed to miss the first rule and used a keyword after the first 15K, well... don't do that.

RULE 3: Your novelette must be written for this contest specifically.

See this contest as a challenge! Don't submit an already-completed novelette tailored to fit the keywords. Write a new one. You have a month and a half, so that's more than enough time! You can do it!

RULE 4: You're not allowed to publish your novelette anywhere until the contest is over.

Keeping all the entries offline ensures that the contest remains anonymous while it's ongoing. The judges can't see your story floating around on Wattpad or Tapas! You are only allowed to send your story to the organizer so they can send it to the judges. Once the contest is over, you will be required to post it on Wattpad. See rule 5 for details.

RULE 5: You agree to publish your story on Wattpad once the contest is over for at least 3 months.

On the day that the results are published, everyone who entered the contest is required to publish the first chapter of their story so we can share the link and add it to our reading list. We can't congratulate you if there's nothing to congratulate you on. During the following 3 months, you are required to publish the rest of your story so people can read it. After that, you can remove it if you want, or you can keep it up. It's up to you.

RULE 6: You must follow Wattpad's guidelines.

Don't go overboard with mature content and all that jazz. You can find the guidelines on the Wattpad Help Center under "Policies and Safety".

RULE 7: You must be an active member in the Literary Lounge Server.

The results will be published on Wattpad, but any in-between updates will appear in the server. You also need to be on Discord to send your entry to the organizer. This contest is for LL members. If you want to join the contest, join the server. You can find the invite link in our bio.

When does the contest start/end?

Did you not read the intro? Well, here's a reminder just in case: the contest starts on June 6th and you have a month and a half to complete your story. The last day of the contest and the last day you can submit is July 20th.

Keep in mind that the deadline is at exactly 23:59 in GMT/UTC! If you're in a different timezone, use a converter. We'll also send reminders in the server as the deadline approaches.

Where are the keywords?

The keywords are published at midnight (GMT/UTC) on June 6th when the contest starts.

Do I need to be a certain age or anything like that?

Nah, anyone who's allowed to be on Wattpad and Discord can submit a story. There are no restrictions in age, location, or otherwise. You don't need to have any specific role in the server, either. (You don't need to be an author.) Anyone can enter.

Can I write more than one novelette?

Sure. You do you.

Can I co-write a novelette?

You do you x2. (Just mention both of your names when you submit so we can congratulate your co-author as well if your story wins.)

Do I need to make a cover and write a blurb?

Nope. You will eventually need them when you post the story online, but not for the contest itself. Only your writing will be judged. You do need a title, though! It'd be a bit lame if we had to give you a prize for "Unnamed Story" by Author.

Can I write a sequel/prequel?

Please write a standalone novelette. It can be connected to another story if you want to use it to flesh out a character or something like that, but the judges need to be able to read it on its own to avoid confusion. Make sure everything and everyone is introduced properly.

Can I talk about my story in LL?

No. You can mention that you're writing something, but you're not allowed to name anything. No titles, no characters, no scenes, nothing. It would be too easy for the judges to figure out which story you wrote, so please wait until the results are out.

Any other questions? Ask them in the comments!